March 1, 2021 - The 23rd round of the Croatian First League was held from February 26 to 28, 2021. In this round, Osijek comes back to beat Varazdin, and Hajduk records another win at Rujevica against Rijeka.
Varazdin v. Osijek (2:3)
Varazdin and Osijek opened the 23rd round on Friday, February 26, 2021, in Varazdin.
Peco scored the first goal of the match in the 16th minute for 1:0 Varazdin, which Herrera increased to 2:0 five minutes later. Varazdin could not hold onto their lead for long, with an Osijek penalty in the 52nd minute (Mierez) bringing them back in the game. Santini equalized for Osijek in the 68th minute, and Mierez scored again for the 2:3 win 10 minutes later.
Varazdin is currently in 7th place with 22 points, while Osijek is in 2nd with 51.
Sibenik v. Lokomotiva (0:0)
Sibenik and Lokomotiva met on Saturday, February 27, 2021, in Sibenik.
Neither team was able to score in the 0:0 draw.
Sibenik is currently in 6th place with 26 points, while Lokomotiva is in 9th with 19.
Rijeka v. Hajduk (0:1)
The thrilling Adriatic Derby between Rijeka and Hajduk was played on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at Rujevica Stadium.
The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when Umut scored thanks to Livaja's debut assist for 0:1 Hajduk. Rijeka was awarded a penalty in the final seconds of the match (96'), but Andrijasevic shot at goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic for the critical Hajduk win. Rijeka's coach Simon Rožman resigned after the match, and the club should announce a new coach soon.
Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 32 points, while Hajduk is in 5th place with 29.
Gorica v. Istra 1961 (2:1)
Gorica and Istra met on Sunday, February 28, 2021, in Velika Gorica.
Istra's Bande scored the first goal of the match in the 25th minute, which was the score at the half. Lovric equalized for 1:1 in the 50th minute, and Mudrinski gave Gorica the lead in the 73rd minute for the 2:1 final result.
Gorica is currently in 3rd place with 46 points, while Istra is in 10th place with 14.
Dinamo v. Slaven Belupo (3:0)
Dinamo and Slaven Belupo closed out the 23rd round on Sunday, February 28, 2021, at Maksimir Stadium.
The first half went without goals after a VAR decision called Lauritsen's goal offside in the 37th minute. Gvardiol scored Dinamo's first goal in the 60th minute, followed by Tolic four minutes later for 2:0. Gavranovic made it 3:0 in the 90th minute.
Dinamo is currently in 1st place with 51 points, while Belupo is in 8th with 21.
You can see the full HNL table HERE.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
